The Howling (2)
by Blue KAZ
Summary: In Chicago, the Tenth Doctor and Rose meet Sam and Dean while hunting Elemental Shades. Second in my SuperWho series.
1. Chapter 1

The Howling

Disclaimer: I own neither Doctor Who nor Supernatural.

Summary: While in Chicago, the Tenth Doctor and Rose meet Sam and Dean while hunting Elemental Shades.

XXX

2007

 _Vwooooooorrrppp...vwoooooorrrppp..._

The TARDIS materialized in the middle of Garfield Park in Chicago, Illinois. Immediately upon materialization, the doors opened and a tall, thin man in a brown suit and overcoat ran out, carrying a radio that appeared to have been stripped down and had a lunchbox and part of a bugle attached to it. He roamed around the park, swiveling it around as though he were searching for something.

"Doctor!" a young blonde woman came running out of the doors, herself carrying a large iron circle with her, "Find anything?!"

"Just a blip," The Doctor responded, giving the device a hardy smack, "It's not working! Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute," the device seemed to wind up a bit, "C'mon, c'mon you beauty!"

Rose Tyler came up beside him, looking at him in wonder. He whispered sweet nothings to his device for a moment longer until, finally, the bugle let out a low tone.

" _Molto bene_!" The Doctor shouted, "Rose Tyler, we have a fix," he gave her a wide grin and offered his hand, "Shall we?"

"After you, Doctor," Rose laughed as she took his hand and the two sprinted off after their quarry.

XXX

Elsewhere...

"Dean, I'm telling you, there's nothing we can do," Sam told his brother, carefully treating his scarred flesh as Dean drove the Impala around the city, "Those Daevas are above our pay grade, man."

"The Hell they are, Sammy!" Dean growled, practically vibrating in his seat, "We can't just let them roam around, and with that bitch dead, that's exactly what they'll do, and they'll be killin' innocent people the whole time!"

"Ok, yes, we should stop them," Sam said a bit sarcastically, "I assume you have a plan for how we're gonna do that?"

"Nope," Dean said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Don't mean we shouldn't try."

Sam shook his head, sighing at his brother, and said, "Fine, Dean. If we're gonna try, let's be smart about it. Let's hit the books, see if we can't dig up any new intel before they find their next victim."

"Great plan," Dean agreed, earning a shocked look from Sam, "What? C'mon, dude, we're both bleeding like stuck pigs, you think I wanna just rush back into it like a moron?!"

"Fair enough," Sam chuckled, "Let's find someplace to hold up, we can go through the books."

XXX

The McCartney Building

"Oh, quite right," The Doctor smiled as the two time travelers arrived at the abandoned building, "An ancient, run down hotel, probably haunted, that's exactly where they'd go!"

"It's like every slasher movie Mickey ever made me watch," Rose stated, a little nervous.

"I was on the set of _Hell Hazers 7_ ," The Doctor stated casually, "There was a Graske loose on the set, I had to get it home before it chewed all the wires and stole everyone's left shoe. I played a wise librarian who informs the teens about the danger they're in, only to get brutally murdered at the last minute. Won an Oscar."

"You did not!" Rose shouted, laughing as her nerves were completely forgotten.

The Doctor reached into his breast pocket, only to fumble around a bit and and sag with a sigh.

"Graskes, always in your pockets!" The Doctor muttered, "Wellll, never mind, then, off we go! Once more into the breach!"

XXX

"Seriously, Sam," Dean demanded as they packed themselves into the lobby of the McCartney Building, "You pick here?! This place looks like it's straight out of a slasher film!"

"You think we can just hole up in a hotel?" Sam shot back, motioning to their injuries.

"Ok, but why here?" Dean asked again.

"Because it's isolated and six miles away from where we were," Sam told him as he set down a bunch of books in the middle of the floor, "Should put some space between us and the Daevas."

The lobby was fairly large with desks on both sides and a large, round couch with four seats. There were several benches near the stairs, along with a frame on the wall that was empty, revealing nothing but stained brick with holes in it.

"Alright, fine," Dean said, wincing a bit in pain at his injuries, "Just sayin', this place is creepy, even by our standards."

"Suck it up, Dean," Sam started to say, only to be interrupted as a loud bang issued from the dark.

The Winchesters ignored their pain and unceremoniously dropped their bags as they withdrew their handguns, both aimed unwaveringly into the dark hallway ahead of them. The two moved forward in unison, positioning themselves to react to a threat and simultaneously guard the other's side. The two moved with an ease that bespoke not only of their kinship, but of their experience and trust in one another.

"Come along, Rose Tyler!" the two heard from the hall, causing the two to move a bit quicker to reach the bend in the hall, "We've not yet-"

The British voice couldn't continue, for the moment its owner had turned the bend, Dean had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"DOCTOR!" the blonde shouted, silenced quickly as Sam grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth.

The Doctor blinked the stars out of his eyes and looked into the face of his captor.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Dean growled, his firearm in the face of the brown-haired man.

"Oh, brilliant!" The Doctor smiled a goofy smile, "I shoulda known! I mean, here we are, middle of an abandoned hotel, all dark and mysterious, hunting after shadows that can move, and here you are, Sam and Dean Winchester, hunters extraordinaire! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Wait," Sam muttered, staring at The Doctor with wide eyes, "You know us?"

"Well, of course, who doesn't?" The Doctor asked as though he were an idiot, "Now, fellas, really, the guns? Always with the guns. One might think you're compensating for something!"

Sam and Dean both stared at The Doctor as though he were nuts, and were jarred when an especially calm Rose Tyler began to speak, even though Sam's hand was still over her mouth.

"Pardon me, but would you mind removing your hand so she can speak?" The Doctor asked politely.

Sam found himself obeying, even though he had no idea why, allowing Rose to say, "Doctor, I don't believe they know us."

"Quite right, Rose!" The Doctor agreed, "Time travel, such a pain!"

"Time travel?" Dean and Sam exclaimed at the same time, earning genuine laughs from the two English persons.

"I love it when they talk together!" Rose laughed.

"I know, it's so darling!" The Doctor agreed, "Now, gentlemen, please, if you'd just be so good as to lower your firearms, we can talk about this, have a nice, calm discussion and...hold on...blimey, what happened to you two?"

Sam and Dean traded a look, and Rose gasped as she got a look at Dean for the first time.

"Okkk," Sam muttered, "Look, first thing's first: what're your names?"

"NO!" Dean disagreed, "First thing is how the fuck do you two know us?!"

"Mind if I answer them both?" The Doctor asked convivially, "I'm The Doctor, that's Rose Tyler."

"Hello!" Rose smiled.

"And we're time travelers hunting after some Elemental Shades that have escaped from the Howling Halls and, of course, you two were doing the same," The Doctor said, "Though likely you thought they were demons or some such nonsense!"

"Oh, man," Dean sighed, a bit angrily, "They're like the Ghostfacers, Sam."

"I'm sorry, what?" The Doctor asked.

"Amateur ghost hunters," Sam sighed as well, "Must've heard of us on the web."

"No," Rose disagreed immediately, "We've met before, twice, actually."

"Ah, Rose," The Doctor interrupted, "Best not mention too much about their future."

"Oh, right!" Rose remembered herself, "Sorry."

"But that's impossible!" Sam stated, "Time travel is impossible."

"Not for me," The Doctor grinned.

"Oh yeah," Dean challenged, "Then who the fuck are you?"

"My, what a mouth on you!" The Doctor mocked, "I already told you, I'm The Doctor!"

"Doctor Who!?" Dean and Sam said together.

Before another word could be said, a snarl echoed out through the hotel. Sam and Dean completely forgot about the two Brits and aimed down the hall. Their tension was broken, however, when they heard what sounded like a horn.

"Oh, there we go!" The Doctor said, "We've got at least one here!"

Sam turned his attention to The Doctor, "You can track them!?"

"Oh, yes," The Doctor explained, holding up his broken lunch-box-horn contraption, "Can track elemental shades, fry up chips and assemble microcomputers in 80 seconds."

"Yeah, more running, less talking!" Rose shouted.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted, "Let's get these people outta here!"

"Not just yet," The Doctor objected, "We're on the hunt, same as you!"

"Some hunters you are!" Dean mocked, "Not even armed!"

"Dean," Sam said simply, gaining all three's attention, "They're here."

Somehow, even though they couldn't see them, the four could easily sense them now. They were creeping along the halls, making a beeline for them. As they moved, cracks in the wall seemed to appear, making shifting sounds that echoed in the dark.

"They're gaining strength," The Doctor muttered.

"Last one we caught wasn't like this," Rose stated.

"No," The Doctor agreed, "These ones are angry."

"Demons usually are," Sam stated.

"Oh, get off it!" The Doctor nearly shouted.

A snarl echoed out and the wall nearly split in two.

"Move!" Dean shouted.

"Out, out, out!" The Doctor echoed.

The four ran as fast as their legs could carry them, though judging by the sounds of the splintering wood and the snarls behind them, they were not running fast enough.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted, "Light up another flair!"

"On it," Sam responded, sliding down to their bag and ripping it open.

"Everyone down!" Dean commanded, ducking his head down to protect his eyes.

Sam snapped the top off and lit the flair, allowing the pure white light to envelope the room.

"Oh, that's just brilliant!" The Doctor gaped, "Beings of pure darkness, kept at bay by pure light! Quite poetic."

"Less yapping, more packing!" Dean shouted as he thrust a bag at The Doctor, "Move!"

The four sprinted out of the hotel the way Sam and Dean had entered, running straight for the Impala. They threw themselves and their gear inside and Dean started the car up and sped away.


	2. Chapter 2

A few miles later, underneath a sea of light in an abandoned parking lot, Dean brought the Impala to a stop. The two brothers got out of the car silently and withdrew their firearms, aiming them both at The Doctor and Rose.

"OUT!" Dean shouted, and for once, The Doctor and Rose did as instructed without a word uttered.

"Sit down," Sam directed Rose to the trunk, allowing her to sit on the metal.

Dean took The Doctor several feet away.

"You move," he said, "I shoot. Get me?"

"Oh, yes," The Doctor agreed, "But, please, don't cut me, just put the silver up to my arm."

Dean ignored him as he pulled out his tools and went to work. He passed them all easily, though when it came time for the silver, Dean made a point to cut him, as though to warn him that if The Doctor misbehaves, he will get much worse.

"Satisfied?" The Doctor inquired as he cut, making a point to show not the least bit of pain.

Dean nodded, smiling a bit, "So...who are you?"

"Fantastic question," The Doctor smiled, "Like I said, I'm The Doctor."

"Doctor who?" Dean asked again, a deadly glint in his eye.

"Just The Doctor," The Doctor stated, "So, Dean Winchester, what are you hunting for?"

"Daevas," Dean answered, curious to see this Doctor's response, "Shadow demons, also called the Zoroastrian demons."

"There you go with demons again," The Doctor sighed, "Well, by all means, what you call demons, I call Elemental Shades."

"Elemental Shades?" Dean asked as though the words were distasteful, "That's gotta be the most douchy name I've ever heard."

The Doctor laughed openly, "My word, Dean, you never change. You are right, though, the Zoroastrian sector is home to the Howling Halls, the natural domain of the Shades. It's a nexus, a meeting point, in time and space. Most of the time, it stays dormant, closed off from the rest of the universe. Sometimes, though, a rift opens, and the shades get through." 

"A meeting point in time and space?" Dean asked, a little doubtful, "You mean like a vortex, or-or a mystery spot?"

"Yes, yes!" The Doctor agreed enthusiastically.

"Only these didn't just appear due to random chance," Dean stated, "Someone, some _bitch_ , pulled them through, summoned them using a spell."

"Welllll, you call it spellwork," The Doctor said, "I call it a-"

"Yeah, whatever," Dean interrupted, "Listen, Doc, are you hunter?"

"No, no, no, no," The Doctor said, "I'm more of a...well, tourist, I'd say, every now and then, I wind up on this side of things, but it's usually something alien, welll, from your point of view, that is."

"So, what, you're like Mulder and the blonde's Scully?"

"Something like that, yeah," The Doctor smiled, "Only less FBI and more Scooby Doo."

Dean nodded, thinking he understood the situation, "So basically, you're a coupla douches off having fun while people are dying."

"I'm sorry, what?" The Doctor gaped, shocked by his words.

"You keep spouting crap about time travel, laughin' your stupid ass off, not taking anything seriously while people are dying," Dean stated, more than a little angry, "You're a couple of douches."

"Now, see here!" The Doctor didn't get any further into his tirade, as he fell to the ground, his lip split open a bit from where Dean had punched him.

"DOCTOR!" Rose shouted, immediately making for her companion, only to be stopped by Sam.

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch," Dean seethed at the stunned Time Lord, "Next time we see you out here, we're putting you in a wheelchair. Leave this stuff to the people who actually know what the Hell they're doing and who genuinely care about the people they're trying to save!"

Without waiting for a reply, Dean stood up and stalked off. Sam stared at his brother, a little nervous, but he let Rose go without a word. The blonde immediately rushed to The Doctor's side, the Time Lord having risen to a sitting position as he gingerly cleaned his lip.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Rose inquired, concerned for the man she held so dear.

"I'm fine, Rose," The Doctor said quietly, watching as the boys drove off in their Impala, "I suppose we made a bit of a mess of things."

"What makes you say that?" Rose asked.

The Doctor stood up, stretching as he did, "Sam and Dean think we're, well, I won't use the word, but let's just say they don't have a high opinion of us at the moment. And why should they? We were having so much fun that we forgot the reality of what we were doing. They're right to be a little concerned."

"The first time we met them, Dean didn't really care for either of us," Rose remembered her time with the short haired and big eared man readily.

"Nor J-" The Doctor stopped himself, remembering that Jack was not to be mentioned around Rose, "Sam, though, he was far more polite about it."

"They're right about one thing," Rose stated, "Those shades are still out there, we need to get them back home before they hurt anyone else!"

"Right you are, Rose," The Doctor agreed, "There's only one way we can do that. Come on!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Damn, those two were just obnoxious," Dean seethed, "I mean, seriously! Here we are, doing our _jobs_ and they're just having a blast! Not thinking about anyone but themselves!"

Sam said nothing. He was still considering the two, but he could understand what his brother was saying. Still, when he thought about it, there were times when both brothers could seem callous and inconsiderate, but in reality, it was them becoming jaded due to the stresses of the job. Considering that they brazenly waltzed into an abandoned hotel and seemed to be aware of supernatural elements, as well as the brothers themselves, he was having a hard time dismissing them.

Plus, something about 'The Doctor' was tickling in the back of his mind.

"We have a new plan?" Sam asked, wanting to put those thoughts outside of his head.

"We go back to the alter," Dean suggested.

Sam shot him a look, "Dude, we look like extras from a horror flick! We can't take them on their own turf!"

"Doesn't mean we should-" Dean stopped suddenly, his body slackening as he stared up into the sky.

Sam looked at his brother with confusion, wondering what his brother had seen. He turned his head and felt his jaw drop.

There, floating in the sky, was a blue box. Sitting in the blue box, with her legs dangling in the air, was the British blonde they had met earlier. She was smiling gayly and waving at them.

"HIII!" she called to them.

Dean woke up, slamming down on his breaks hard. He turned off the engine and the two got out as one, their instincts taking over as they raised their firearms. The box slowly landed, with Rose still in the frame, leaning casually on the wood as the hunters closed in.

"What the Hell are you?!" Dean shouted.

"I'm a woman, ain't you ever seen one?" Rose shot out, a huge grin on her face.

"Not one like you," Sam countered, "What in the Hell is that?!"

"This," the tall, thin brown-haired man came behind the blonde, the two stepping out as one, "Is my ship."

The two stepped to the side as one, revealing the interior. Sam and Dean, two battle-hardened warriors with razor sharp instincts, dropped their weapons as one and stepped closer to the box. They poked their heads inside, seeing the size of it all, then promptly stepped back outside, circling around it from opposite sides, all while The Doctor and Rose chuckled silently, both having seen this reaction several times over and enjoying it thoroughly.

Sam and Dean came back around to the front at the same time, turning into the TARDIS with a mixture of awe and fear on their features.

"It's bigger on the inside," Dean and Sam spoke as one, earning more barely concealed giggles from the time travelers.

"This is my ship," The Doctor explained, walking up behind them and motioning towards the center console, "She's called the TARDIS. She can travel through space and time."

The brothers looked around in awe, both feeling more than a little intimidated by something so amazing. Far too used to death and evil, it was simply fantastic for them, being witness to something that could only be considered awe-inspiring.

It was a tall structure, rounded with little shapes all over the walls. It had steam rising from several places and metal grating all over the place, with a vague appearance of earthen metal and rust. The center console was a mishmash of odds and ends, levers and balls, each evidently necessary to properly pilot the craft. The console had a center piece that reached up to the ceiling, the piece itself casting an eerie green light around the room.

"You weren't lying," Dean muttered, turning to face the two time travelers.

"Oh, Dean, I wouldn't feel too bad," The Doctor smiled, putting his hands behind his back and walking up to the two, "It's rare that I'm not lying."

The Doctor patted the elder Winchester on his stomach, "You got that one for free, mate."

Dean chuckled, finding himself liking this man a little more.

"So, what, are you two hunters through time and space?" Sam inquired, moving closer to the console.

"Not exactly," Rose explained, leaning against the console as she did, "More like wanderers, mate. We're just looking for a spot of fun, that's all."

"But every once in a while," a blatant lie from The Doctor, "We find ourselves encountering a situation that endangers people, planets, the universe and more and we act."

"So you were seriously trying to stop those things?" Dean inquired, "With just yourselves and a broken radio?!"

"And these," The Doctor pointed over to several large, iron discs that were lying on the ground.

Sam made to get up from the console, but as he did, he accidentally flipped a switch causing the entire room to fill with music.

"Ian Dury and the Blockheads," Dean cited easily, casting The Doctor an appreciative smile, "Nice!"

"We tried to see them in concert once," The Doctor replied idly, moving over to the console to shut it down, "Ended up in a snag with Queen Victoria and a werewolf."

Dean and Sam blinked, "Werewolf?"

"OK, sorry, but that is too cute!" Rose laughed, thoroughly enjoying the brothers' biplay.

The Doctor giggled slightly, enjoying the brothers' discomfort, though it was quickly forgotten as the two made their way to the circles.

"This is pure iron," Sam deduced, "You were making a trap for them?"

"Iron doesn't work on Daevas," Dean recalled from the lore.

"It does when you conduct a wave of sound energy through the iron, creating a vibration that can contain the Elemental Shade," The Doctor stated, and he did so with such confidence that Sam and Dean found themselves believing him, "You see, gentlemen, we do care about saving lives, but we go about it without the use of firearms."

Dean rolled his eyes, "C'mon, you roll somewhere without the right protection, you're gonna get your ass handed to you."

"Not The Doctor," Rose stated, sending a glance over to her companion, "He has saved the universe more times than I can count, and he did it all with his mind."

"And once with a sword," The Doctor had to admit.

"Well, that Sycorax tried to kill you!"

"Quite so," The Doctor agreed, but he paused as he saw Dean's look, "What?"

"So you do use weapons, you're just not using them now," Dean concluded, a look of understanding on his face.

"No! No weapons, none, ever, just this," he reached into his pocket and produced a small cylinder, pressing it slightly so it produced a noise and a blue light, "Sonic screwdriver, handy little device."

Sam reached into his own pocket and produced a real screwdriver while Dean produced a multitool.

"Tools of the trade," Sam stated.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor tried to make his point.

"So you really are a time traveler," Dean interrupted his denial, "And you're out hunting these things with nothing more than a broke radio and a few circles of iron. No defense whatsoever, even after you've seen what they've done to me and Sammy, just...a broke radio and some iron?"

The Doctor looked a little pitiful as he answered, "And a s-screwdriver."

Dean and Sam shared a look, a shrug and a chuckle, in that order.

"You got guts," Sam stated, a slightly impressed look on his face.

"Or you're suicidal," Dean sighed, "Either way, your plan might work, so, count us in. Sam, you stick with The Doc. Rose, you're with me."

"Oh Lord, it starts," Rose sighed, "Listen, Dean, you're a nice guy, but no."

Dean blinked. "But-"

"No," Rose laughed, "Sorry, Dean, but it's not happening."

Sam chuckled slightly, earning a betrayed look from his brother, but The Doctor saved him further humiliation.

"I actually think splitting up like this is a brilliant plan," The Doctor stated, "But first, we really might need to know where to look, so-"

Without another word, The Doctor sprinted outside, his radio in hand. The three humans went after him, watching in a silly awe as the man adjusted his device, occasionally muttering and hitting it as he did.

"Is he always like this?" Sam asked.

"Usually," Rose stated, "Most days, he doesn't have a split lip."

Dean had the good sense to look a bit embarrassed, but he didn't respond to her jab.

"AHAHA!" The Doctor shouted in joy as the horn burped out a note, "We have a lock, only a mile away. Rose, take the scanner, find them and stick with Dean. When you do, phone me and Sam and I will come running!"

"Right! C'mon, and eyes front!"

"I'm not a complete pig!" Dean argued.

"That's not where my eyes are," Rose countered.

"...Damn it."

Sam chuckled lightly at his brother, but when he turned, he found the strange man standing just by the door, an irritated look on his features.

Sam understood what it was immediately, "My brother's a bit of a horndog, but he's harmless...mostly."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that," The Doctor stated, though Sam didn't really believe him.

Sam nodded along, however, and stepped forward, "Why split us up, Doctor?"

"Makes it easier when we find them to have the TARDIS on hand," The Doctor answered, heading inside his vehicle as he did, "That way, less likely they'll escape."

Sam had to admit, he had a point.

"Doctor," he was hesitant as he spoke, but he spoke clearly enough to gain the Time Lord's undivided attention, "You recognized us, you and Rose. How? Have we met before?"

"Not yet," The Doctor explained, falling into his chair and putting his feet up on the console while Sam leaned against the railing, his arms crossed, "I've met you several times now, each time, out of order. Time travel's quite fun, but it will give you a raging headache on occasion. I've met your brother, too, of course, but more often than you. First time I met your brother, I thought he was a thug. Now I'm beginning to understand that he's more."

"Oh, he's definitely a thug," Sam agreed with a smile, "But he's a nice thug...sometimes."

The Doctor chuckled, "Truth be told, first time I learned your name, he was telling me about you, him and Cass, that is."

"Cass?" Sam inquired, a little confused.

"Oh, right, sorry," The Doctor waved it away, "Forget I said anything."

In truth, The Doctor had purposefully dropped the mysterious figure's name, just to see if he would get any kind of reaction, though he'd doubted it considering how early in their personal time streams he was. Still, it never hurt to try.

"If you've met me in my future," Sam started, a little uncomfortable as he spoke, "Then can you tell me anything? Anything about my Dad?"

"No," The Doctor stated, a little coldly, "Sam, time doesn't exist quite the way most people would consider, some strict form of cause and effect. In reality, time is more like this big ball, with craters and mountains, and it is so easy to get lost in them. The easiest way is to learn about your future, because in order to maintain the time line, you _have_ to make sure it comes to pass. If you don't, that's a paradox, and a paradox is strong enough, just sometimes, to destroy the entire universe. Even crossing into your own time stream can cause such effects, no matter how careful you are. So please, when I say that I can't tell you anything, believe me."

Silence descended upon the pair as Sam contemplated the nature of his response.

Soon enough, though, The Doctor spoke again, "Sam, I have a question for you. I wanted to ask you and your brother this anyway, so...Rose and I just returned from a trip where we faced a giant, horned beastie that called himself 'the devil.'"

The Doctor went on to describe the adventure in detail to the younger Winchester. All the while, Sam listened hard, wondering just where exactly this story was going.

"Knowing what you know about demons and the like," The Doctor acted as though even saying the word left a bad taste in his mouth, "Is there even the most minute chance that...that was the devil?"

Sam sighed, losing himself in thought for a moment, before finally saying, "Lore on the devil says a lot of different things, Doctor. Same as with God, there's no one definition. With that in mind, I'd have to say that yes, it is possible that that was the devil. But I don't think it's very likely."

"What makes you say that?" The Doctor inquired.

"Because the devil wouldn't bother with tricking you like that," Sam stated easily, "He'd just kill you all and take the ship for himself."

The Doctor blinked. He had to admit, the young man had a point.

"Then why not do that?" The Doctor asked.

"Because he wasn't the devil," Sam summed up, "He had more limits than a fallen angel would."


	4. Chapter 4

"So you actually met the devil?" Dean marveled at Rose's story as he drove down the road, "Wow. I mean, I gotta say, I've heard some whoppers, but that takes the cake!"

"Oy, mate, don't go callin' me a liar!" Rose defended herself, "And I dunno if it was the proper devil, but he was bad enough as it was. I just...is it possible that that was the devil? Lucifer, I mean?"

Dean shrugged, "Sure, anything's possible, but I wouldn't believe a bucktoothed hillbilly one bit if he called himself Hugh Hefner."

Rose had to admit, the crass American had a point. Still...

"Do you believe in the devil?" Dean shot her a look, "I mean, with all that you and your brother have seen, it just seems like, maybe, you would think that there was something bigger than ghosts and zombies."

"Zombies?!" Dean laughed, "No such thing, darlin'."

Rose smirked, saying nothing.

"There aren't!" Dean repeated, a little uncertainly, "...Right?"

Rose laughed but changed the subject, "Ooookay, but, what about the devil?"

Dean sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before answering, "If you're asking do I believe in the devil, then no, I don't. I believe in what I can see with my own two eyes, Rose, and the devil, angels and God, all of them fall in the 'I ain't seen it' category, right up there with Santa Clause and a non-douchey Rangers fan."

(A/N: just throwing Deanisms around, not bashing the Rangers.)

(A/N: Go Red Wings!)

"So if you haven't seen it, then it doesn't exist?" Rose questioned, "What about aliens?"

"Total bullshit," Dean stated.

"And what if I were to tell you you'd met an alien?"

Dean shot her a disbelieving look, "Well, I gotta say, you're pretty hot for an E.T."

Rose chuckled, slapping him on the arm, "Not me, wanker. I meant The Doctor."

"Seriously? That paper thin tightwad is an alien?"

"He's not that bad," Rose insisted, "We all just got off on the wrong foot."

"Wait a minute, you're telling me he's an alien and you're, you're just cool with that?"

"Of course."

Dean shook his head, "I'd heard the Brits were a little loose, but I never thought I'd meet one that shacked up with Alf."

"I-I have no idea what you're on about," Rose denied, blushing slightly as she did.

"Uh huh," Dean said with heavy sarcasm, "And I'm gonna start having tea and crumpets any time now."

XXX

Sam got a call from Dean several minutes later, reporting that they'd found an abandoned warehouse several miles outside of town.

"Right then!" The Doctor called out, closing the door and running for the console, "Sam, I suggest you hold on tight!"

Sam watched in fascination as The Doctor roamed about the console like a madman, swiftly fiddling with the controls with so much confidence that Sam could just tell he knew what he was doing. The center pylon began to rise up and down and the machine began to make a groaning, wheezing noise that, somehow, rang a bell in the back of Sam's mind.

 _Vwooooooorrrppp...vwoooooorrrppp..._

Sam quickly took the Time Lord's advice and grabbed onto the console, using it to steady himself as the craft began to shake as though an earthquake were happening. He watched, completely mortified and yet fascinated as The Doctor cackled wildly to himself, flipping controls and grabbing a large mallet to hit the console with.

"LANDING IN THREE...TWO...ONE!"

The shaking stopped instantly, causing Sam to lose his footing and fall to the floor.

"Spacial distortions!" The Doctor announced, running over to the door, "Must be a lot of them! Come along, Sam, haven't got all day!"

Sam rose to his feet, a little shaky, but quickly got over it as he ran after the thin man. The Doctor was waiting for him, both iron circles in hand. He quickly gave one to Sam and the two men moved cautiously into the building, eyes open for any sign of the Daevas or Dean and Rose.

"Why's it always got to be these dark, damp spots?" The Doctor complained quietly, "Why can't they ever invade Rio?"

"What'd be the fun in that?" Sam shot back.

The two made their way into a large room that appeared to be a cafeteria, with broken tables and chairs all over the place. As they crept further in, a set of double-doors on the other side burst open as a body was propelled through them.

"DEAN!"

"ROSE!"

The elder Winchester quickly got to his feet, "Sammy, pop a flare!"

Sam dropped the circle and withdrew a flare, pulling the cap off and throwing it. Dean opened the door and kicked it in, letting the light flood the hall for a moment before rushing inside.

"Rose, where's Rose?" The Doctor demanded, setting down his own iron bar.

Dean returned a moment later, a shaking Rose Tyler in his arms. The second she saw him, she collapsed into The Doctor's arms. The Time Lord held her tight, resting his chin against her head and whispering into her ear.

"How many?" Sam demanded, withdrawing another flare.

"Dunno, at least two," Dean muttered, "Doc, Rose, get behind us, they'll be coming in any moment."

"Let them," the Winchesters turned as one, gaping as they saw something that shook them to their cores.

The Doctor was standing quite still, his arms around the shaken Rose. His eyes held a cold, unyielding spark in them, a spark Dean and Sam had seen several times in their lives, usually from the monsters that they would kill. It was a spark of pure, unadulterated rage...it was pure evil.

The Doctor, a man who wanted nothing but peace, had become enraged.

"Stay with them, Rose," The Doctor instructed, and the blonde woman obeyed.

The two men watched in slight awe as the Time Lord strode forward, grasping both iron bars in his hands. He set them down in front of the door then pushed them open, blinding them all as the light from the flare entered the room.

"You hurt Rose," The Doctor stated, withdrawing his screwdriver and pointing it at the light, "No one does that."

XXX

Dean and Sam carried an eerily silent shadow in a vibrating iron bar into the TARDIS, setting it down gently in the console room. No one had said a word since witnessing The Doctor's actions, as they were all still processing exactly what it had meant.

For Rose, it had been one of the rare times when she had seen the darkness her...friend held within. Unlike others, though, she held no fear of him and refused to treat him any differently, evidenced by how she was able to joke and laugh with him even after witnessing the way in which he had defeated the Daevas.

For Dean, it had been something of an eye-opener. From the beginning, he had doubts about this man who called himself The Doctor, but to witness him so easily vanquish their foes with only his wits and a screwdriver...it was awe-inspiring. He found himself fascinated with the supposed alien and wanted to know more about the man, but at the same time he wanted him gone. He was too much, even in the world the brothers lived in. He had seen the look in his eyes when Rose had been hurt. The Doctor had been enraged, and Dean couldn't help but believe that some of that rage was directed at him.

For Sam, it had been a completely different experience than the rest. He recalled several instances from his life when he had seen his father completely furious and willing to do anything to right whatever wrong had been done, even at the expense of his friends and family. The Doctor, though, had been willing to do so specifically to save Rose. He thought back to the night Jessica died and wondered, not for the first time, if he had chosen to stay and let Dean handle it, would she have lived? If he had put her first...or, perhaps, if he had just been honest with her about the world, like the way The Doctor and Rose were honest...maybe she would still be alive.

The man in question said nor did anything with regard to it, merely chatting idly with Rose as they prepared to disembark for the Howling Halls and drop off the last of the escaped shades.

"Right then!" The Doctor cried happily as he fiddled with his machine, "This should be a treat for you boys, your first official trip into outer space."

"Dude, I don't even like air planes!" Dean argued.

"Bah!" The Doctor remarked, "Where's your spirit of adventure, Dean?!"

"In a barf bag," Dean shot back, not enjoying the idea of traveling into space at all.

"Doctor, how 'bout our wounds?" Sam inquired, "We're still pretty beat up."

"I wouldn't mind a nice cup of tea and an ice pack," Rose stated.

The Doctor smiled, "Welllll, I suppose a detour is in order. Sam, Dean, fancy a cup of tea?"

"What I fancy is a bottle of Jack and a bottle of painkillers," Dean answered.

"Hold on," Sam wondered, "Are you...inviting us along with you?"

The Doctor shared a look with Rose, who smiled at him. He knew that the pair had traveled with him, just from his own past experiences, but he didn't know precisely when or how long. Still, he knew that they would, and he honestly thought having them along with him and Rose would be good for a laugh.

"Yeah," The Doctor answered with a cheeky grin, "So, how 'bout it? Fancy a trip through time and space?"

"No chance in Hell," Dean denied instantly.

"Amen," Sam agreed.

The Doctor and Rose both looked a little shocked at their refusal.

"Blimey, didn't see that one coming," The Doctor muttered.

"Dude, this place is just too weird," Dean stated, staring around the room uncomfortably, "And, no offense, you seem like you might be a cool guy, but you're also a bit of a douche."

"Not to mention that you're capable of things like what you did to those shadows," Sam stated.

"Wellll, all I did was-"

"And you do technobabble WAY too much!" Dean interrupted, "Plus, we just met you. In what world would you ever, ever get anyone to go away with you after just one meeting!?"

Rose blushed a little bit, knowing full well that she had run off with The Doctor after having just met him.

"Aside from that, we still have work to do here," Sam stated.

"Plus, you're an alien," Dean concluded.

"Oh, now, that's just racist!" The Doctor objected.

"Sorry, E.T., the answer's 'no,'" Dean stated simply.

The Doctor fumed slightly, just a little bit irritated with the Winchesters and their attitude towards him.

Rose, however, simply smiled and said, "You don't know what you're missing out on, guys. Just imagine waking up one morning and going out to see the wild west, or an alien world. It's amazing, all the things that we've seen and done, all the people we've saved. We get to travel the whole of time and space. It's really wonderful."

"We travel the country, saving people, hunting things," Dean stated with finality, "It's our job."

"Your sense of duty is touching, but take it from someone who knows. Duty won't do you any favors." The Doctor advised, his thoughts drifting back to a time long ago.

"You think we don't know that we're gonna die bloody?" Sam inquired, his voice tense.

"We know, and we don't care," Dean said simply.

"What matters is the people we save, those people who get to go home to be with their families, the little kids who don't have to grow up without parents," Sam spoke with conviction, an iron in his words that showed just how much he believed it, "For every one of them we save, it makes our lives that much better."

The Doctor couldn't help but admire these boys before him as they spoke. He had enough in him to admit that he instinctively looked down on them, as they were humans and killers and not very smart, but there was much more to them than met the eye. They had a code of honor, a creed of self-sacrifice that mirrored his own but where he harbored a hope for a better life and a better world, these men had surrendered to the darkness of their apparent fates. Even so, they vowed to go down swinging and, more importantly, to save as many as they possibly could.

For the Gallifreyan, Castiel had always been his primary interest with these crass Americans, but now...a need, a desire had been awakened in him.

He would save these two.

Still, he knew well enough that they would never do anything they didn't want to do, so he decided to be gracious.

"When I first met you, I considered you to be nothing more than a thug," he said for the second time that evening, not looking either Sam or Dean in the eye, "But now, hearing you speak so...honestly, I can't help but say 'bravo, my son.' You two are the most... _human_ humans I have ever had the privilege of meeting."

Rose nodded in silent agreement, having already come to that conclusion during their first meeting, but was pleased to know that The Doctor had finally come around.

"This is feelin' a little gay," Dean stated eloquently.

The Doctor let out a light chuckle, earning an odd look from Rose. The Time Lord had to suppress his innate instinct to explain, knowing that her memories of the rogue time agent were muddled, at best.

"Wellll, in any case," The Doctor smiled, "Sam, Dean, always a pleasure."

"Hope we never see you again, Doc," Dean returned rudely, turning away from the two.

"Oh, you will," Rose smirked, enjoying the tension in his back.

Sam chuckled, walking forward and extending his hand, "What can I say? It's been an experience."

"A pleasure," The Doctor agreed, though he eyed Dean a little curiously, "He didn't even say goodbye to Rose."

"Be happy he hasn't shot you," Sam said, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "He's seriously freaked out by you."

The Doctor nodded, imagining that Sam was correct. Dean appeared to be fairly judgmental, and stuck with his first impression unless something seriously changed his mind. Dean's first impression of them was fairly negative, so it would take some time for him to change his mind. The Doctor had to admit, he was much the same way. His first impression of Dean had been that he was a thug, and even though he was willing to reevaluate his opinion, Dean would have to put in a lot of work to truly change his opinion.

The way he had sprinted in after Rose earlier that night and the brothers' ideology regarding sacrifice helped with that.

"Are you seriously freaked out, Sam?" The Doctor inquired.

Sam pondered the question, considering all that had happened throughout the evening. The Doctor had originally come on as being unlikeable, though for Sam it was nowhere near as bad as it had been for Dean. Sam tended to view things with a little more calmness and clarity, or so he thought. While he was wary of the alien, and he had no doubts whatsoever that this Doctor was an alien, he hadn't shown himself to be anything less than an adventurous man who wanted to protect his woman.

That was something Sam could empathize with.

Still, the man knew them. Somehow, in some fashion, he knew the Winchesters from a future time, or a past time, and he was hiding his knowledge. While Sam could understand the logic behind his actions, given The Doctor's own explanation, it didn't change that fact.

"I am," Sam answered honestly, "How could I not be? But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"SAMMY!" Dean shouted from the car outside the TARDIS, "LET'S GO!"

The Doctor nodded, ignoring the elder Winchester, "I can respect that. Cheers, mate."

The Doctor walked away, maneuvering himself over to the console while Rose sprang forward, instantly enveloping Sam in an embrace. Sam was a little stunned by the move, but quickly returned the gesture. He wondered how he had engendered such trust from this woman.

"Next time you see him, he won't be the same," Rose whispered into his ear, "And neither will I."

Sam blinked, but by then, Rose had backed away with a smile, slightly pushing him towards the door as the TARDIS began to shake.

"Go on, then," Rose told him, "Don't leave your brother behind."

Sam nodded slowly, backing out of the machine in a slight daze. The doors closed on their own and that wheezing sound filled the air again. The box began to vanish, fading in and out of reality as the light on top began to glow, until after a moment it completely disappeared from view.

"Wow," Sam muttered.

"I'll say this much for him," Dean stated, gaining his brother's attention, "The man can make an exit."

Sam chuckled slightly, "Yeah. Let's get going."

"Right," Dean agreed, the two brothers opening their respective doors simultaneously, "We've got work to do."

The Impala roared to life and sped off into the night.


End file.
